Ala Hann Sport picks

Super Bowl 44 odds have been out for over a week now, but the first significant move has happened with Indianapolis’ advantage decreasing a little bit. However, an injury shouldn’t hurt the Colts’ chances against New Orleans too much.

Saints Colts betting – Sunday, February 7, 6:20 PM ET

The Saints come into this game healthy, and that’s a good thing because they’ll need all the help they can get. However, there are some questions that have been raised about New Orleans on both sides of the ball. They gave up a ton of yards against Minnesota, and only five turnovers from the Vikings got the Saints to this point. During the second half of that game, the Saints had problems moving the ball against the Vikings, who took Reggie Bush out of the game.

The Colts have a big injury worry as defensive end Dwight Freeney has torn ligaments in his ankle. Freeney, who has an outstanding motor and speed coming off the edge, would be a huge boost to the Colts’ defense, who have to deal with one of the fastest offenses in the league. But as long they have Peyton Manning on the other side of the ball, the Colts feel like they could be in a super casino and come out rich. Manning won his fourth MVP award this year, beating Brees by a wide margin, and he’s taken his game to another level in the playoffs, particularly against the New York Jets. The Colts have also won seven games this year in the fourth quarter, and if you give Manning late chances, he’ll burn you.

The Colts have dropped a half-point to 5-point favorites according to betting services, and the absence of Freeney up front shouldn’t hurt the Colts too much. Indy has a lot of experience, and whenever someone gets hurt, or is ineffective, they have players who can step up. They have enough team speed on defense to handle the Saints, and they have another good end on the other side in Robert Mathis. Offensively, the Colts won’t make the same mistakes that the Vikings did, especially with Manning under center.

NFL picks: Colts -5